'AITA for refusing to split the dinner bill?' 'My dish was half the price.'

"AITA for refusing to split the dinner bill because my dish was half the price of the others?"

Last week I went to dinner with work colleagues. The agreement was for everyone to order what they wanted. I ordered a more standard dish and a drink, which came to about $32. Most ordered appetizers, expensive dishes, desserts and various drinks, and the bill for the table came to more than $400.

When the waiter brought the bill, someone suggested splitting it equally. I said I didn't think it was fair, since I had spent less than half of what they had spent. I explained politely, but the atmosphere became strange. Some colleagues said that “the fun is in sharing” and that I was being cheap.

I ended up only paying for what I consumed and left a good tip, but since then I feel like some people are avoiding me at the office. One of them even commented that I “ruined the night” and that “adults know how to split the bill without complaining."

I was really uncomfortable paying almost double what I spent. But now I'm wondering: AITA for not wanting to split the bill equally?

Here's what people had to say to OP:

Jocelyn-1973 said:

NTA. Everybody has a budget and they make choices accordingly. Splitting is something you all want, or all don't do. I would stop going out with these people. Also a tip for if you are ever in that situation again: go to the bathroom before the discussion about the bill starts...

...(there is always the risk of a majority wanting to split), then to the place where you pay and pay your part and tip. Then inform the others that you just had a text and you need to leave right away, but don't worry, you have just paid your part including a tip for your part.

Fearless_Spring5611 said:

NTA, but this demonstrates the importance of establishing how the bill should be paid from the start. I would argue that adults do know how to split the bill without complaining - and that the starting point of splitting the bill is "pay for your own stuff."

ThisIsAnAccount2306 said:

NTA. Who's cheap? The person who wants to pay what they owe or the person who wants to pay less than they owe through someone else subsidizing them?

hoshinoanzu said:

People really do that? I will never understand that culture of splitting the bill equally when everyone ordered their own meals. If it was family style I would have understood though. I never experienced that though. When we order our own meals we each pay for what we ordered unless someone’s offered to treat everyone or whatever. NTA.

ChuckOfTheIrish said:

Ironic they consider you cheap yet wanted you to pay for their food. There are lots of people like this and they ordered extra seeing it as discounted via the split. You should be the one avoiding them at the office. NTA.

CherryStatic said:

NTA. People should have paid according to what they ordered.

HoldFastO2 said:

NTA. Splitting equally requires agreement by all parties concerned. And while sharing dinner is fun, most people take that as sharing the food, not the bill. Adults also know how to pay for their own food.